The present disclosure relates to shrouded fluid turbines having one or more shrouds. The shrouds are made from a combination of (i) a hard shell or skeleton; and (ii) a membrane or skin.
Conventional horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) used for power generation have two to five open blades arranged like a propeller, the blades being mounted to a horizontal shaft attached to a gear box which drives a power generator. HAWTs will not exceed the Betz limit of 59.3% efficiency in capturing the potential energy of the wind passing through it. HAWTs are also heavy, requiring substantial support and increasing transport costs of the components.
It would be desirable to increase the efficiency of a fluid turbine by collecting additional energy from the fluid. It would also be desirable to modify the mass and size of a fluid turbine.